The Beginning

by Eden Wildblood

  Warren simply shrugged and fixed his dark eyes on hers, but Wynter didn’t look away. He was large and heavy set, plus his demeanour was incredibly standoffish, but she wasn’t about to back down. It felt like he was trying to intimidate her. Establish dominance.

  Marcus had told her to keep on fighting though, and she sure was going to. She was his superior, after all. “And, I have a request.”

  Warren sat back in his chair rolled his shoulders, the material of his shirt stretching over his impressive array of muscles. Wynter got the feeling he was trying to show off his body in another bid to distract her, so she kept her eyes on his, rather than ogle at his muscular physique like she guessed all the other women around the place often did. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with him, of course. There was plenty to look at, but she knew she needed to keep things purely focussed on the job if she had any hope of fitting in with Warren and his team. Plus, it helped that Wynter had just been satisfied moments before meeting him. Good old David and his magic touch.

  “Fire away,” he eventually answered when he saw he wasn’t getting any reaction from her. She finally looked away and eyed up his filing cabinets before then focussing back on him.

  “Well, everywhere I’ve been today, people seem to know who I am and the job I’ve just been given to do here. That’s great and all, but I need to know where I stand, and I’m guessing there are some here who will know more about my private life than others,” she said as she took a seat opposite him at the desk. “I’d be flattered, if it weren’t for the fact I know you have a dossier on me somewhere down here. I’d like it destroyed please,” Wynter added, making it clear that this was not just a request, but also an agreement between the pair of them. A way of creating a foundation of trust. If Warren kept her private life away from prying eyes then she would always know she could trust him, and she would be sure and make the same show of faith in return.

  She needed as many allies as she could get and was willing to do whatever it took to get them. That way, should anything go wrong, anyone who tried to take her down would face an army of loyal comrades—or whatever analogy better fit the predicament she’d now found herself in. Wynter was going to watch her back, and certainly wouldn’t let people like Joanna ever get her into trouble should her jealousy get the better of her judgement.

  “Sure,” Warren agreed, breaking her reverie. “I did the work myself. Top priority as per Mr Cole’s request. I’ll admit it was an interesting read, Wynter.”

  “Hmm, I bet,” she answered, but figured she didn’t really have anything to hide so still wasn’t too upset about the whole thing. It was good to know that only one person had worked on it though. And that she was looking right at him.

  Warren seemed to relax then, as if he had sussed her out and was satisfied. She was about to say something more, when a wide smile crept over his face and he leaned forward. He finally dropped the grumpy guy routine and Wynter appreciated the new view far better than the man she’d seen so far. He finally appeared real, and she not only relaxed a little herself, but she let her walls drop a bit too. “So?”

  “I’ll delete the lot, but only if you tell me honestly, did you really date the Prime Minister?” he asked, shaking his head when she nodded hers. She had indeed. “No way! Before or after he was elected?”

  “Not long before,” she answered. “We started it up when I was at university. He was in his final year when I’d started my first. He spotted me at a fresher’s party and offered to show me the ropes…”

  “Yeah, euphemism much,” Warren joked and Wynter nodded. “What’s he into?”

  “Vanilla mostly. We did have a threesome with some Earl’s son, though.”

  “Nice!” Warren replied with a snort that showed his geeky side. He seemed genuinely impressed by her story and Wynter was glad they had developed such a quick rapport. She had the feeling she was going to enjoy working alongside the burly nerd.

  He then turned serious and dropped his voice, watching her with his dark brows knitted together. Warren looked like he might be about to say something, but then stopped himself, as though he were trying to find a way to be both honest and tactful. And then he finally spoke, his voice softer and quieter than she’d expected. “You understand what you’re getting yourself into by working here, right?” he eventually asked.

  “I think so,” Wynter replied with a shrug. “Marcus has been gentle so far, but I’m really just looking forward to doing my actual job. I’ve never been recognised for my real talent before. Never been allowed in the big boys’ club. But now, I’m hoping all of that is going to change.”

  “Oh, it is,” he answered with a grim expression. “You’re going to get everything you’ve ever dreamed of, Wynter, but only if you’re willing to pay the price to get it.”

  “I am. I can do it,” she replied, showing him no fear, because actually, she no longer felt any.

  “Good,” he said, his smile creeping back in. “And when that bloodsucker is finished with you, you come and see me and my guys. We’ll look after you.”

  Wynter was about to groan and tell yet another sleaze to back the hell off, when Warren picked up on how his comment had sounded and quickly corrected himself, much to her appeasement. “And by that, I mean we’ll feed you and give you somewhere safe to rest. We’ll make sure no one comes creeping while you’re coming down from the bite. You’re a manager. One of the boss’s favourites and so a prime target now, Wynter. The perfect notch on any of the losers’ belts that work in this godforsaken club, but we don’t work that way down here. We take care of our own by keeping the wolves locked away outside.”

  “And, I’m one of your own?” she whispered, suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought of having such a great team to work with.

  “Damn right,” he replied, and then checked his watch. “And it’s clocking off time for you soon so that can mean only one thing—Mr Cole is going to need you back upstairs.”

  Nine

  Marcus watched Wynter on one of the numerous video cameras he’d had installed around the building. There wasn’t a single place where someone could hide from him, not even in the bathrooms. After all, that was where all the good stuff happened, wasn’t it? It certainly had a couple hours’ earlier when Wynter had taken David up on his most generous offer of making things up to her.

  It had been a pleasure to watch. A sight to behold, Wynter had sat atop that counter with her legs wide and her body on show. What wasn’t to like? And of course, it wasn’t like Marcus was going to do anything but continue to watch her. Yes, she was beautiful and sexy and certainly alluring, but she was also a bit awkward and she liked to joke around. He had no time for nonsense like that.

  There was still nothing about that young girl which made him want her for more than her blood. But then, why was he more than ready to call David up to his office and snap his neck like a twig for going near her? It wasn’t like he cared. He was a three thousand year old vampire, he didn’t get jealous.

  Marcus turned his attention back to the array of footage options he had in his sights and clicked on the elevator, watching as Wynter took it up to the third floor and disembarked. He checked his watch. Still five minutes to go. Five minutes and he could feed. He was more than ready. His body was aching for the nourishment she was going to bring him. He could taste her already. Smell her.

  He drew a deep inhalation and realised he actually could still smell her scent from his desk. Not the subtle tones from far away, but close by. Wynter had left part of herself behind.

  Marcus’s senses immediately heightened and his adept nose found the source if the scent within a second. He stood and then crouched down on the floor before kneeling and pressing his nose to the ground beneath his desk. There it was. The single drop of blood that’d dripped down from her perch atop his desk. It had dried, but that didn’t stop his tongue from darting out and taking back what was his.

  Satisfied for now, Marcus then stood and made sure his sui
t and shirt were perfect. That his hair didn’t have a single strand out of place. Everything had to be perfect, as usual.

  And then he walked to the elevator where he stood and waited for Wynter to arrive.

  ***

  “Shit, shit, shit,” Wynter groaned as she jumped in the lift and hit the button marked with a number four. It was bang on two-am and she knew she had just one minute to get up to Marcus’s office and be ready to feed him. She’d cut it close. Too damn close. It wasn’t even Warren’s fault either. She’d decided to check her phone and had to answer a string of messages from her friend Cossette and the time had just run away from her.

  Ding! The elevator chimed, marking her arrival. Wynter checked her watch again. She still had thirty seconds and so let out a sigh. She was going to be okay.

  The doors then opened to reveal her master. He wasn’t sat at the desk like she’d imagined, but instead he was standing right beside the lift doors like he was either about to get in with her or he was lying in wait, ready to yank her out the second she arrived. Wynter wasn’t sure which one he was going to go with, so she just stepped forward and smiled.

  “Good morning, Marcus.”

  “Right on time, Wynter,” he answered and then offered her his hand, which she took and let him lead her into the private area behind the glass partition she’d been in a few times now. It felt odd being so at ease with him, someone she barely knew and yet had already shared so much with. And yet, she clung to the hand he’d graciously let her hold, like it was the most precious thing on Earth. Marcus came to a stop beside the bathroom door. “I’d like you to take a shower.”

  “Sure,” she answered, figuring it wasn’t an unreasonable request. She’d been there almost an entire day already and was feeling a bit icky herself, so welcomed the chance to get freshened up. “Do you have products for me to use?”

  “Everything you need is in the cabinet, plus I have clothing I’d like you to wear for me afterwards. Your work clothes will be washed and pressed ready for this evening,” he replied with a smile that both terrified and beguiled her. She suddenly wanted to kiss him. To have his arms around her and his lips on her neck. His tongue lapping at her vein…

  Wynter forced those thoughts away and knew she was only thinking them because of Marcus’s power to control her and make her believe that was what she wanted, when in fact, she didn’t. Not really. It took every ounce of effort she could muster, but Wynter steered herself away and instead opened the door to the bathroom.

  She then walked into the huge room and was surprised when Marcus followed her in. “Undress,” he commanded when she turned to look at him inquisitively.

  She did as he’d asked and was even more shocked when he mirrored her actions.

  As she slid off her jacket, Marcus did the same.

  When she unbuttoned her blouse, he removed his shirt, and so on.

  Wynter couldn’t keep her eyes off him. Yes, he had that distinguished look about him on the surface, but beneath the suit was the body of a god. He was slim and perfectly toned and his skin was impossibly smooth. She desperately wanted to touch him, but kept her hands to herself, remembering her shame from before when she had dared try to seduce him. She was learning, or so she hoped, and tried not to make any more of a fool of herself.

  When he was completely naked, Marcus then walked further inside the bathroom and turned on the overhead shower jets, and that was when Wynter noticed how it was a twin shower. Two heads were built into the ceiling and water cascaded down from them so that two people could shower side-by-side and still have their own space, rather than be squashed into one cubicle like she’d been used to in the past.

  The two of them entered at the same time and Wynter hissed as the icy cold water hit her. She jumped out of the spray and glowered at Marcus, who was already standing under his own cold stream, seemingly without a care for the shocking temperature.

  “Don’t mind the cold, huh?” she groaned, whacking the heat up on her controls. Marcus peered out at her from beneath his wet lashes and grinned.

  “I feel nothing, Wynter. It surprises me that you still need reminding,” he said, but she didn’t believe him.

  “Liar,” she replied as she grabbed the shampoo and got to work on sudsing up her dark brown hair. She then rinsed and opened her eyes, going in search of the conditioner, but instead found the face of her master just inches away. She went to jump back, but Marcus grabbed her and pulled her to him, crushing her against his chest.

  “I have no heart, no conscience, and no soul,” he growled, “what makes you think I feel a single thing other than the desire to fulfil my need to survive?”

  She still didn’t believe him. Bravery reared its head inside of her again and before she could stop herself, her thoughts came tumbling out of her mouth.

  “If you were a heartless monster then you’d never have created this business. You like to be entertained, Marcus. You have a need to facilitate in the survival of your own kind, but rather than create farms full of humans to expedite the blood letting, you chose to create an empire. A place for hundreds of us to come and worship you. If you felt nothing, then you wouldn’t need power or your cult following of humans under your spell. You’d simply take and take and take without a care.”

  Marcus let out a growl and he thrust Wynter against the cool tile wall, moving her as though she weighed nothing at all. He closed the gap in a millisecond and bared his teeth when she dared smile. She knew it was stupid to antagonise him, and yet, she couldn’t seem to help it. “Did I hit a nerve? One you apparently don’t have?” she teased, but knew she was pushing her luck.

  Wynter hadn’t known what’d come over her saying those things, but something just kept on snapping within her and she couldn’t help but bite back, so to speak. She knew it’d get her in trouble, but she didn’t care. Just as long as it meant she’d keep some of her independence, she was willing to keep pushing him and decided she would take Marcus’s punishments. Or at least she hoped she could.

  He stared into her eyes as if he was looking into her soul, and Wynter was shocked to find he didn’t appear to understand her at all. Marcus actually seemed lost and confused in that moment. Like he had no idea how to react. One second, he looked like he wanted to throttle her, and the next he seemed like he was about to kiss her. Maybe even more.

  Their naked bodies were against each other’s after all.

  Strangely though, Wynter didn’t feel horny for him just then. She wanted to be close to him yes, but not to make love. Not to jump his bones either. All she wanted was for him to understand and to take care of her. To accept her for what she was willing to give, but also what she wanted to keep for herself. “No more games, Marcus,” she whimpered, feeling lost herself now too. “Let me feed you.”

  He pushed away like she’d offended him and stormed back to the other showerhead, where he ducked underneath and finished getting cleaned up without a word.

  Wynter hurried through the rest of her wash routine and then followed him out of the cubicle, where they both dried up in silence and she applied some moisturiser and deodorant. She also ran a brush through her hair and left it down around her shoulders to dry.

  When he was done, rather than stick around Marcus left the bathroom, stalking naked into the living area. Wynter kept her towel around herself and followed, where she found him pulling on a pair of casual black trousers and a simple blue t-shirt. It was strange seeing him dressed that way. Even after only knowing him a day, she had already become accustomed to the perfectly tailored suits and crisp cotton shirts.

  “Your clothes are in there,” he told her, indicating to another set of drawers to his right. She went to them and pulled open the top drawer, where she found nothing but a single white dress. It was like a modern take on the nightgowns women used to wear in the olden days, nothing like she’d choose for herself, but she slipped it over her head without argument. The dress fell right down to her feet and swamped her, feeling less than flatteri
ng, but Wynter still didn’t grumble. If this was what he’d wanted her in then so be it. She’d riled him up enough for now without also adding a further insult about his choice of clothing for her.

  “Marcus,” she then hummed when there was nothing but silence between them. “I’m ready.”

  “Sit down on the couch,” he demanded and she did, thinking he’d take her wrist, but he evidently had other plans. “Open your legs and lift your skirt…”

  Again, she did as he commanded. Wynter hadn’t ever been one to shy away from men when it came to showing off her body, but with Marcus she felt like she was only revealing what was his. That, somehow, by covering herself she was denying him of what he rightfully owned. It felt oddly good to be naked in front of him.

  Marcus climbed down and lifted her left knee up, hoicking in over his shoulder so that his face was level with her thigh. She could feel her skin prickling, ready for his bite. Her heart was racing, pounding loudly in her ears, and she began to pant. How could she want it so much? This was insane.

  “Please,” she whimpered, but Marcus simply placed a kiss against her skin.

  “Please what?” he asked, looking up at her with a wild kind of wickedness to his stare that made Wynter tremble.

  “Drink,” she answered, and he seemed surprised.

  “Is that all you want?” he enquired, his eyes darting to her uncovered and fully on show pussy that was mere inches from his face.

  Wynter thought about it for a moment. Yes, she was horny again now. But truly, she didn’t want him. She didn’t even want David. All Wynter wanted was for her duty to be done so she could rest. She willed the time to pass and for Marcus to take what he wanted, and realised it wasn’t for any reason other than because she was ready to get away from him. That deep down, she actually despised him for what he had forced her into.